Kingman Theatre
237 N. Main Street,
Kingman,
KS
67068
237 N. Main Street,
Kingman,
KS
67068
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Additional Info
Architects: Carl Boller, Robert O. Boller
Firms: Boller Brothers
Functions: Movies, Performing Arts
Previous Names: Meade Theatre
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
620.532.1253
Nearby Theaters
This Kingman Theatre was built by Mr. S. F. Meade and his son, Frank, as a new opera house for the community of Kingman. The structure became an instant landmark, as well as a distinctive ornament for the community, especially with its night lights.
The seating capacity of the original house was 700, with standing room for approximately 100 more. The standing room also gave the patrons the convenience of moving around without missing any of the show being presented.
Built at a cost of $40,000 at the time of its grand opening in July 1920, this theatre has remained true to the original intentions of its creators: to offer the community first class peforming arts.
Contributed by
Paul Salley
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
The Kingman Theatre is located 235-37 Main Street.
This is the theater in my town. I love this theater My mother wanted to buy it when I was yonger but my father did not want to. It then sold and now my parents are divorced and My mother still dreams of running a theater.
This theater has a very cool feature when you sit in the balcony (16 or older) They will bring you refills wich is great but sometimes scary during a scary movie LOL!
Someone took the streetview way off course. Therefore I added an picture of the Kingman here.
The Kingman continues to serve the residents of Kingman. New photos in the pictures section.
Many small town theatres cannot survive by showing movies alone and the Kingman Theatre is one example. The theatre supplements its movie income by hosting tribute bands and country & western artists. The theatre’s ceiling reveals a beautiful southwestern motif. Lovely art deco fixtures well as neon lights adorn the auditorium. Seats were updated years ago with tasteful upholstery and cup holders. The balcony was closed for some maintenance but scheduled to open soon. The theatre is open Fri, Sat, and Sun. The Kingman Theatre is a lovely theatre and definitely worth a visit. Thanks for the tour
The original name was ‘Meade’ with an ‘e’. The owner’s name is misspelled as well. The KHRI entry says that it was built to replace the Kingman Opera House, which was located on W Avenue A about where the tin-clad garage is today. That building was destroyed by fire sometime between 1905 and 1911.
The capacity of the Meade was reduced to 400 in 1931. It was still called the Meade in 1956. The capacity was raised back up to 700 by 1945, but then down to 620 by 1951.
KHRI entry here: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=095-66
In case the information proves useful, the fire that destroyed the old Kingman Opera House took place on May 11, 1910.
A bit more recently, The March 22, 1971 issue of Boxoffice said that the former Meade Theatre, which had been closed for a month, had reopened as the Towne Cinema on February 19 following some renovations. A more extensive redecoration was planned. S. F. Meade had closed the house for economic reason after almost fifty years of continuous operation.
He reopened the house in partnership with Jack Luthi. The theater would be open six nights a week (dark Wednesday), with a matinee and a special midnight show on Saturday. If the enterprise was a success, then the partners planned to reopen the Meade Drive-In as well in the spring, at which time the Towne would be reduced for the season to weekend only operation. So far I haven’t found any follow-up articles, so I don’t know if these plans came to fruition, or how long the house operated as the Towne Cinema.